Requiem
by RadiantBeam
Summary: The seconds stretched into minutes, and the minutes stretched into hours, and the hours stretched into days, and the days stretched into weeks. They never came back. ::UsagiRei MakotoAmi SetsunaMinako ChibiUsaHotaru HarukaMichiru::
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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**Requiem**

_Chapter 1_

The new enemy started its attack at the beginning of Usagi's first year of high school, only a few months after Mamoru had gone to America and only a few weeks after he'd called her to admit that he'd met someone new. Had she been perhaps a little sharper, paid a little more attention, she would have seen what was to come.

But she didn't notice, of course; the poor girl had just had her heart broken. But at least the arrival of a new enemy distracted her and kept Haruka, Rei, and Makoto from marching over to America solely for the purpose of beating Mamoru into a bloody pulp.

Usagi didn't know what these 'star seeds' that the enemy wanted were or why they were so important, but she didn't think much of it.

She figured they'd learn in time.

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After the incident with Nehelenia, Chibi-Usa and Diana could not return to the future.

It seemed odd and strange at first, and Setsuna worried over it constantly; without the shards of Nehelenia's mirror to mess things up, the young princess and her companion should have been able to return safely home.

But they couldn't.

It was more of a worry than a concern to the present time senshi, and secretly Hotaru was overjoyed that her best friend didn't have to go away yet. Haruka made teasing jibes at her and Chibi-Usa whenever the opportunity presented itself, but Michiru was always there to scold her and soothe the two embarrassed, blushing children.

And then the new enemy attacked, seeking pure star seeds, and the matter wasn't questioned anymore.

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Usagi and Chibi-Usa were getting for bed that night when they saw the three shooting stars.

They rocketed across the sky, flared brilliantly when they reached the end of their paths.

And faded away into oblivion.

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"It's an enemy from outside the solar system, so it's only natural that we fight it first."

That was exactly the words that left the sandy-haired tomboy's mouth when they gathered at Rei's shrine that day—Usagi, Rei, Ami, Makoto, and Minako were still in their school uniforms, and Chibi-Usa wore only a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. Diana, Luna, and Artemis sat at the base of the steps.

Standing before them were the Outer senshi in all their glory, Sailor Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Saturn.

Naturally, something within Usagi rebelled at the idea. She reached out, clasping Uranus's hands even as she felt the older girl stiffen. "Haruka-san, don't start that again," the moon hime pleaded. "The last time you tried to do something with just you and Michiru-san, no offense, but it didn't end well."

Uranus's eyes softened slightly and she eased out of Usagi's grasp but kept a gentle hold on her princess's wrists. "That was different, Usagi-chan, and you know it as well as I do," she soothed.

"Besides, we aren't actually going to _fight_," Neptune chimed in. "We're just studying the enemy, what we know of them."

Usagi didn't look convinced, but she let her hands fall away. Besides, she tried to remind herself, she wasn't the only one with something to lose—she clearly saw the anguish in Minako's eyes as the senshi of love gazed at Pluto.

While Usagi was having her inner battle of wills, Chibi-Usa took action and timidly stepped forward. "Are you going to be gone a long time, Hotaru-chan?"

The senshi of death and rebirth fidgeted uncomfortably. "I'm not really sure. However long it takes us to scout out the enemy. That's what Setsuna-mama said."

A long, awkward silence passed between the two younger girls; then, gathering up her courage, Chibi-Usa retrieved something from her pocket, stepped forward, and held it out to Saturn. "Can I have your hand for a moment?" the future princess asked, and Saturn complied. Quickly the pink-haired girl looped her offering around Saturn's wrist—a small, pale pink bracelet. Saturn stared. "Chibi-Usa-chan?"

"A good luck charm." Chibi-Usa's face flushed lightly. "We made them in class today."

A slow, dangerous grin was spreading across Uranus's face at the twin blushes shared by the two young friends, but Neptune saw the danger and elbowed her sharply in the ribs.

While the others had been distracted by the sweet (if not amusing) spectacle before them, Pluto had timidly made her way to stand before Minako, gripping the Time Staff as if her life depended on it. Despite her tight hold her hand was steady, and the young blonde met her gaze evenly.

Even a person who was blind and deaf would have felt the tension in the air between them and around them.

"Hurry it up, Pluto," Uranus drawled, turning her sights from Chibi-Usa and Saturn to her old friend. "We all know you're looking for an excuse to kiss her."

Pluto slanted the wind senshi a narrow-eyed look that made Minako giggle even as tears swam in her eyes. "I'm perfectly capable of kissing someone without you adding your own two cents, Uranus."

"Don't make us cause a scene. We're more than capable. Right, Michi?"

"Right." Neptune smiled, letting herself get caught up in the fun. "Setsuna. Setsuna. Setsuna." With each repetition she raised her voice a bit, her eyes gleaming as the girls around them collapsed into giggles.

"Okay, okay. Stop it before you embarrass yourself." But Pluto's lips twitched.

As Pluto leaned in, Neptune put her fingers between her lips and whistled.

"Control your woman, Uranus."

"Can't." Uranus grinned. "I love her when she's wild."

Tired of waiting for Pluto, Minako gave the older woman's sleeve a gentle tug and leaned up, closing the distance between them. Humor faded away and the others turned their eyes away as the two kissed.

She didn't mean to, but Usagi snuck a peek at the pair out of the corner of her eye.

The image of Pluto, her forehead resting against Minako's and her thumb gently brushing away tears as the younger girl's hands clasped her wrists and cried silently, would haunt her until the day she died.

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Time passed, as it had undoubtedly down for years, centuries, millenniums before the senshi and the Moon Kingdom had even come into existence.

Together, as a unit, the Inners waited patiently for the Outers to return.

The seconds stretched into minutes, and the minutes stretched into hours, and the hours stretched into days, and the days stretched into weeks.

They never came back.

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"Rei-chan, please, you need to rest. Eat something, drink some water. Close your eyes for a little bit." Usagi gently tugged on the miko's sleeve, refusing to leave her alone. "You look exhausted. You've been peering into the fire for three _days _now."

At the door Luna sat, her tail wrapped around her paws and her eyes shadowed with worry. No longer content with just waiting for the return of the Outers when Chibi-Usa regularly checked their home to see if they had returned and Minako suffered from nightmares (as reported by a worried, anxious Artemis), the senshi of fire had taken to looking into the holy flames to see if she could find at least a trace of their friends.

So far, she hadn't seen anything.

"I just need more time, Usagi." Frustrated, the dark-haired miko attempted to pull free from her princess's grasp and failed. "If I spend a few more minutes, I'm sure I'll find something."

_That's what you said three days ago, _Usagi thought with a scowl, taking in the red-rimmed eyes, the tangled black hair, the wrinkled clothes. She admired her friend's determination, but Rei was quickly reaching her breaking point. Any longer and she'd get herself sick. "Just a few minutes, Rei-chan," the shorter girl pleaded. "We don't even have to leave the room if you don't want to. Just close you eyes for awhile."

"Usagi…"

Rei wisely cut herself off before she finished her thought; beneath the worry gleaming in those blue eyes she saw steel. It was only a matter of time until they started arguing, and Usagi had an uncanny knack for coming out on top sometimes, especially when she was worried about her friends. She cast one last look at the fire before closing her eyes and giving up.

"All right, Odango. All right. You win."

Usagi's lips quirked, but before she could say or do anything Rei scooted closer to her and lay down, resting her head in Usagi's lap with a tired sigh. The moon hime froze for a moment, color flooding her cheeks. "Rei-chan?"

"You said we don't have to leave the room. I'm too tired to walk, and I doubt you're strong enough to carry me."

"HEY!"

Rei's soft laugh cooled the instant flash of temper, and as her breathing evened out and deepened Usagi cautiously shifted, lifting one hand to tentatively run her fingers through the long midnight strands. Without thinking, her other hand reached out and gently clasped with Rei's, giving a comforting squeeze as the miko finally succumbed to sleep.

Luna's eyes softened slightly; with a flick of her tail she turned, nudged the door open with her paw, and quietly slipped out, sliding the door shut behind her.

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"You've gotten faster."

The soft, slightly proud tone nearly made Ami jump out of her skin, as she heard it clearly despite being submerged in water; she shot to the surface and sucked in a ragged breath, ignoring her burning lungs. Brushing wet strands of blue hair out of her eyes she saw Makoto, sitting at the pool's edge; she'd taken her shoes off and dipped her feet in, and was watching Ami with amused green eyes.

"Um, thank you." Flustered, Ami swam a little closer. "I didn't… I mean… how'd you know I was here?"

Makoto raised a brow and chuckled. "Study date, remember?" She shrugged, waving a hand as Ami began to babble. "Look, it's no big deal. I just got worried and it's no secret you love to swim, so I thought I'd check up on you."

The embarrassment faded away to a warm glow; Makoto had been worried about her? Swallowing against an unexpected lump in her throat, Ami cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. I lost track of time. I didn't mean to worry you."

Makoto noted idly that Ami's eyes were glowing and resisted the urge to smile; she had a weakness for Ami's eyes, especially when they glowed like they were right now. Like everything was right in her world and she was the happiest she could ever be. It felt nice to know she'd put it there. She leaned back, bracing her hands behind her. "Why are you here anyway, Ami-chan? Aren't you part of the computer club or something?"

And just like that, the glow left Ami's eyes.

"I am." Disheartened now, the blue-haired girl dared to swim closer to Makoto, resting her arms on the tile floor. "I skipped today to practice a bit."

"Thinking of going out for the swim team?"

"No… nothing like that. It's just…" The emotion came fast and hard, slamming through Ami like a train, and she fought to keep her voice even. "A long time ago, Michiru-san told me she'd like to have a rematch sometime. So I've been practicing." Her breathing hitched, and she pressed a hand to her mouth, closing her eyes. "I thought we could have that rematch after she gets back. I've gotten faster… I thought maybe I could beat her."

Tears slipped silently down Ami's cheeks to the floor below; the young genius didn't even seem to be aware of the fact she was crying. Wordlessly, Makoto covered Ami's hand with her own and squeezed, but her eyes were hard and her voice was rough when she spoke.

"Don't worry about it, Ami-chan. She'll come back, and you'll get your rematch." Humor lit her eyes. "If you want, I can even cheer for you."

The tears hadn't completely dried, but Ami still managed a weak, shaky laugh; she gave Makoto's hand a quick squeeze.

"Thanks, Mako-chan."

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In the darkness of her chambers, the woman clad in gold laughed softly, a cruel laugh that rattled like autumn leaves in the wind. Something in her hand clinked as she rubbed it absently between her fingers, and her lips curved coldly.

"Soon," she murmured. "This is the last planet standing in my way. Once I have claimed its star seeds, the galaxy will be mine."

_Clink, clink._

She laughed again and leaned back in her throne, observing her collection of star seeds with a sick, twisted sense of pride. She liked the gold one best, though it didn't shine very brightly; no, her four newest star seeds shone the brightest of them all, even if their colors were a little dull and boring.

_Clink, clink._

In the dull, muted light of the room, the object in her hand—her new favorite toy and pastime—gleamed pale pink.

_Clink, clink._

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None of my other stories are cooperating with me, so... (shrugs)

This is short... only 4 chapters long. So yeah. With Rei/Usagi, Ami/Makoto, Setsuna/Minako, Hotaru/Chibi-Usa, and Haruka/Michiru sprinkled throughout.

Read and review, please!


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Sailor Moon. If I did, the senshi would all be gay for each other.

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_Chapter 2_

For the first few weeks, Rei looked into the fire every day. She sat before it hours on end, staring into the dancing flames, and more and more often she fell asleep in Usagi's lap instead of her own bed. Over time the odango-haired girl stopped pestering her about it and simply accepted that her friend was bound and determined to discover the fate of their missing companions.

If she ever noticed how tightly the dark-haired girl held her hand as she slept, she kept it to herself.

Gradually Rei peered into the fire every other day, then every three days, then once a week.

Eventually, she stopped looking.

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_The darkness of the room was lit by a blinding, almost burning gold light._

_Four shrill, short screams pierced the air and faded away, leaving no echo in their place._

_And as four new star seeds came to rest in the palm of her hand, the woman clad in gold and formerly known as Sailor Galaxia began to laugh._

_As she laughed, a broken bracelet clattered to the floor._

_It was pale pink._

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"Chibi-Usa-chan?"

The pink-haired girl yelped and jumped at least ten feet in the air; Diana yowled in protest and nearly went flying off her charge's head, digging her claws in for support. "Small Lady!" she wailed. "Don't frighten me like that!"

"It's not my fault!" Flaming red eyes swung around, only to freeze. "Minako-chan?"

The blonde smiled weakly, a guilty gleam in her eyes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Slowly she lifted her eyes, peering over Chibi-Usa's head at the empty Outers' house. "Still no sign of them?"

"No." Frustrated, Chibi-Usa turned away and shoved her hands into her pockets, glaring sourly at the house. "Hotaru-chan said they'd be gone for awhile, but I didn't think it would be this long." She glanced back at the senshi of Venus. "Why did you come by here, Minako-chan?"

"Oh, you know. Just in the neighborhood." The lie was flimsy even as Minako shrugged and laughed hollowly, her eyes still on the house. "I thought maybe Sets-chan would be home by now. I was gonna surprise her."

For a moment the young princess of the future hesitated, biting her lip; after a moment, she exhaled and looked away, studying the window to Hotaru's room. "I've tried contacting Puu through Luna-P," she said at last, and felt Minako's gaze on her. "I've always been able to do it in the past, especially when I first came here to find Sailor Moon."

"Small Lady," Diana whispered softly.

Minako waited, a sinking feeling in her stomach, but Chibi-Usa didn't continue; the blonde swallowed the lump in her throat. "And?" she croaked out. "Anything?"

Chibi-Usa reluctantly lifted her head, meeting Minako's gaze.

"All I get now is static," she whispered. "Wherever Puu is, I can't reach her."

Rising tears made her eyes sting, but Minako fought them back gallantly, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. "That doesn't mean anything," she murmured. "That doesn't mean anything at all, Chibi-Usa-chan."

But despite her words, the senshi of love felt cold inside; a chill that seeped into her bones.

And she couldn't ignore it; the feeling that Setsuna was gone, was gone and had passed into a place she couldn't follow.

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Not long after Rei stopped looking into the fire, two new enemies appeared. They called themselves Sailor Lead Crow and Sailor Aluminum Siren, and they sought pure star seeds.

They were an odd pair, perhaps the oddest pair of villains Usagi had ever seen; the bickered and squabbled like a couple that had been married for many years, but beneath the barbs and insults, beneath the clumsiness and whining, there was a true bond forged of steel between them, unbreakable.

She saw it because she knew she shared the same relationship with Rei.

Despite the oddness of their pairing, they were the deadliest team the senshi had faced in awhile; their attacks were synchronized and completely in tune to each other, and unlike other villain duos that eventually broke apart Siren and Crow only seemed to grow closer.

Only once did Crow attack alone.

Her aim had been Sailor Venus; the senshi of love had been preoccupied with the man who had had his star seed stolen, and her Love Me Chain was working against her in this case, tangling around her wrists and nearly snaring her all on its own. The beast had grabbed her chain, twisted it, and sent the former princess of Venus flying.

"Venus!" Jupiter roared and would have certainly gone to her fallen comrade's aid, but she was preoccupied with defending an injured Mercury, and Mars and Moon were having a hard enough time fighting off Siren.

With a groan, Venus slowly staggered to her feet, weaving a little and blinking as her vision blurred and spun.

As it cleared, she saw Crow only a few feet away from her, watching her with very evident curiosity.

"VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!!"

The attack had its desired effect; not only did it successfully nick Crow, but it forced the dark-skinned woman to leap away, settling on a nearby lamp post. Still, she studied Venus with fascination. The younger girl scowled. "Look, I know I'm pretty, but I'm already involved with someone else and sorry, but you aren't my type—"

"She called out for you."

Venus went deathly still as her comrades ran up behind her; her eyes stayed glued on Crow, even as Siren teleported to her side, a pout on her face and her arms crossed. "What?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, the color completely draining from her face.

Crow shrugged nonchalantly, smirking as Siren quietly inched behind her, peering at the senshi over the taller woman's shoulder. "One of the four who came after Galaxia-sama. The tall one with the Time Staff." She glanced at Siren for confirmation. "I'm right, aren't I? When Galaxia-sama defeated them, before she finished them off, the one in control of time said 'Venus', didn't she?"

Siren mused it over for a moment, tapping her lips with her finger before nodding. "I think she did, Crow-san, but it's hard to say since she was really weak by then and her voice was soft—"

The Venus Love Me Chain was a blur of gold; Crow had time only to wrap an arm protectively around Siren and leap away. "Venus, no!" Sailor Moon cried, running forward.

Sailor Venus was beyond reason. Tears streamed unbidden down her face, her eyes bright with a mixture of grief and fury, her face still deathly pale; the Love Me Chain went flying again, though it only slashed empty air. _"Where is she?!" _she screamed, letting loose Love and Beauty Shock; it hit the telephone pole and sent it to the ground with a crash. _"Where's Sets-chan?! What did you do to her?!"_

"Venus!" Sailor Moon flew to the other girl's side, knelt next to her and dragged her into her arms, forcefully wrestling the Chain from her hands. "Venus, stop it! There's nothing we can do right now!!"

Low, ragged sobs of pure anguish tore from Venus's throat; her fingers dug into Sailor Moon's shoulders as her body shook. Looking over the pair, Mars swore softly; Siren and Crow were long gone.

"Those bitches." Jupiter's voice dripped with venom, and only Mercury's hand on her arm kept her from destroying something.

And oblivious to it all was Venus. Her sobs faded away into choked whimpers, and Moon cradled the broken girl close. "Oh, Venus," she whispered, tears falling freely.

"Give her back," the senshi of love whimpered, her voice hoarse and soft. She buried her face into Moon's shoulder and wept. "Please, give Sets-chan back to me. I want her back."

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"_Firefly?"_

_Sailor Saturn jumped as Sailor Pluto gently laid a hand on her shoulder; she blew out a long breath and shifted, looking up at her adopted mother sheepishly. "Sorry," she whispered. "I'm just a little jumpy." In the darkness of the television studio, the pale pink bracelet on her wrist gleamed weakly, a small beacon of light in the black._

_Chuckling both to calm Saturn and ease her own nerves, Uranus reached out and gently tousled the girl's hair. "Relax, hime-chan. Don't worry so much. What're you planning to do after all of this?"_

"_I promised Chibi-Usa-chan we'd get ice cream when we get back." Slowly the tension drained out of the youngest senshi at the thought of her friend, and she smiled briefly. "She was upset when I told her about how we had to leave at school, so I promised her we'd get ice cream together when we got home."_

"_A date, eh?" Delighted by Saturn's blush, Uranus smirked. "Hey, hime-chan, I've got no problems with it. So long as she doesn't kiss you, unless you start it."_

"_HARUKA-PAPA!"_

_Saturn's yelp was high-pitched and defensive; with a soft laugh Neptune swept in, brushing Uranus away easily. "Now, now, don't tease her," the senshi of the sea murmured, a gleam in her eyes. "Need I remind you who kissed who on __**our **__first date, Haruka?"_

"_Hey." Uranus slanted a narrow-eyed look at her partner. "I didn't hear you complaining."_

_Saturn giggled, and Pluto gently stepped in. "Now, now, children," she scolded, her lips quirking. "Let's stay focused on our mission, shall we?"_

"_Woman kisses her girlfriend goodbye like some hero going off to war and suddenly she's on top of the world."_

_Pluto merely glanced at Uranus as she walked past the senshi of the wind and smiled calmly. Shaking her head in amusement, Uranus followed her, soothed when Neptune's hand slid into hers and squeezed gently._

_Saturn trailed her parents, lost in thought. A light blush dusted her cheeks and she gently rubbed the beads of her bracelet between her fingers._

_Maybe she'd kiss Chibi-Usa when she got back. She didn't think Uranus would have a problem with it if she started it._

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In one swift motion Rei rose, moving across the room in only three strides. She caught Usagi in her arms and held on, burying her face into the moon hime's shoulder even as she struggled. "Rei-chan! Stop it! Let go! I… I have to—"

"There's nothing you can do." Rei's voice was rough, muffled by Usagi's shoulder, but her grip was firm. "We don't even know where they are or where to look for them. For all we know, Crow could have been messing with Minako-chan to throw her off."

"But you haven't seen them." Usagi stilled in Rei's arms, her voice soft. "You haven't seen them in the fire, have you, Rei-chan?"

Rei said nothing to confirm or deny; just closed her eyes and sighed softly. Usagi felt the warmth of the fire senshi's breath tickle her neck.

The dark-haired girl's silence made her stomach turn and her throat burn. Carefully she turned in Rei's arms, and the senshi of fire lifted her face from Usagi's shoulders, keeping her arms around the shorter girl's waist as Usagi quietly rested her head against her shoulder and closed her eyes, her body shaking slightly.

"I shouldn't have let them go alone," the moon hime whispered raggedly. "I should have found a way to stop them."

Rei said nothing; she knew even if she did, it wouldn't mean anything to Usagi. Even if she was told otherwise, Usagi would blame herself for whatever predicament the Outers had gotten into, and would continue to do so long after they returned.

"Rei-chan…"

"Hmm?"

"Was she… did you know if Crow was lying or not?" Usagi's voice was soft, almost pleading. "Could you… I mean, was there any way for you to tell?"

Rei almost said nothing, almost formulated some kind of lie, but Usagi pulled away and looked into her eyes, a hand coming up to rest against her cheek, and she felt her heart slam against her ribs. She blew out a long breath and hesitated, lifting one hand to gently cover Usagi's. "You won't like it," she warned.

"I need to know. Please."

A long moment of silence; finally Rei sighed again, heavily, and rested her forehead against Usagi's.

"I can read people's vibes," she murmured at last. "It's one of those things I've always been able to do. It's not like mind reading, but I can get a pretty good feel for a person if I'm in tune to them."

Usagi felt the questions rising but quelled them, desperate to know the answer to her question.

"Crow wasn't lying, Usagi." Rei closed her eyes as a shudder rippled down her spine. "She was being completely honest. She wasn't lying."

The tears began to fall then, and Rei gathered Usagi close, falling to her knees with the moon hime when her legs failed to support her.

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In the silence of Usagi's room Chibi-Usa sat huddled on the bed, gazing at Luna-P. Diana was curled up next to her, sleeping soundly as the future princess of the moon absently stroked her head with a hand. Red eyes narrowed and she leaned forward for a moment, gently whapping the robot over the ears.

Nothing.

She'd been told about the battle; about what Sailor Lead Crow had said about Pluto. As her stomach rolled in turmoil she couldn't ignore the fact that if something had, in fact, happened to Pluto, then that same thing had probably felled Saturn, as well.

"_Hey, how about, when I get back we go for ice cream? You're favorite. That'll be something to look forward to, right? So… I promise, when we get back, we'll get ice cream together. I'll even buy it."_

Chibi-Usa shook her head violently, rubbing at her eyes with the back of her hand as her vision blurred.

Lifting her hand away from Diana, who murmured in confusion and lifted her head, blinking, the future princess pulled Luna-P closer as it flared to life, filling the room with the whine of static. "Puu?" she whispered. "Puu, are you there?" She swallowed. "You're all right, aren't you? You and Uranus and Neptune? Nothing bad has happened to you or Hotaru-chan, right? Because…" A soft whimper escaped. "Because I really miss you, Puu. I miss you, and I miss Hotaru-chan a lot, and I even miss Haruka-san and Michiru-san. And Hotaru-chan… you remember that promise, right? About when you get back? Well, I was thinking, maybe I'd buy the ice cream, you know? As a welcome back treat."

All that answered her was the whine of static.

Whimpering softly, Chibi-Usa buried her face into her knees and wept as Diana pressed against her legs, murmuring soothingly.

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Artemis didn't even jump as he felt Luna gently brush his flank with her tail; expecting her, he turned his head and sighed as she rubbed her cheek against his. "How is she?" the black cat whispered, keeping her voice low, mindful of Minako, fast asleep in bed.

The white cat took a moment to survey his human partner, flicking his tail briefly; his eyes softened, and an anguished glow entered them. Minako was still several shades paler than she should have been, and dried tears streaked her cheeks. "She's had better days," he murmured at last. "She's had much better days."

Luna said nothing, merely pressed comfortingly against her future mate; he sighed and rested his cheek against her head, closing his eyes. "I didn't approve of it at first," he admitted at last. "Mina's relationship with Setsuna-san. I never did. I was afraid that her feelings would cloud her judgment. At one point I was even thinking of speaking privately to Setsuna-san, to see if she could put an end to it."

Still nothing from the black cat beside him, but Artemis knew she was listening.

"And now…" The white cat cleared his throat, though it was still slightly rougher than it should have been. "I'd give anything for Setsuna-san to return safely, if it makes Mina the way she was." He closed his eyes as tears began to fall. "I swear I would, Luna."

Her heart aching for him, Luna settled down next to Artemis as he lay down, rested his head on his paws, and wept.

"I know you would, Artemis," the black cat replied, and knew it wasn't enough. "I know you would."

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_It happened so fast that Uranus couldn't even see it unfolding before her eyes; her pride was still stinging from being swatted around like a fly, on her knees with Neptune and Pluto struggling behind her, when the woman who called herself Galaxia let loose a pure gold energy ball._

"_Haruka!"_

_A blur of purple and white; the Silence Glaive clattered to the floor, abandoned by its owner._

_A flash of brilliant light; a shrill scream of pain and anguish._

_And before the disbelieving eyes of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, Saturn crumbled to her knees, gasping raggedly for breath as something shimmering shot to Galaxia's palm like a dog to its owner, and her form began to shimmer and fade._

"_NO!!"_

"_HOTARU!"_

_Desperate, sick fear drove Uranus to Saturn's side as the girl began to fade away completely, resting in her father's arms, one hand fisting against Uranus's uniform as her whole body shuddered with pain. "Hime-chan," Uranus rasped, and tears fell without her even realizing it. "You stupid, stupid girl! Why did you—"_

_Saturn winced, slowly opening her eyes, and tears shimmered in the purple depths as she looked up at Uranus; she smiled weakly as Neptune stroked her hair and Pluto gripped her shoulder._

"_Sorry, Haruka-papa," she whispered, and shuddered again. "I… I guess… I won't get a chance to kiss Chibi-Usa-chan… after all…"_

_She closed her eyes and sighed tiredly, and in a flurry of warm golden lights she faded away completely. Uranus stared numbly at the place where her daughter had lain as Neptune wept and Pluto closed her eyes. The sound of something hitting the floor made her look down._

_On the ground lay Saturn's bracelet; her good luck charm from Chibi-Usa._

_Uranus was still staring at it when Galaxia shot her in the back._

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As I said, this is going to be short. As such, it'll probably be updated quite often.

This chapter is mainly to show that the Inners are realizing something's gone wrong and to show what exactly happened to the Outers. And for all you Ami/Mako fans, I apologize for not having them in this chapter much. They'll have a much larger role in chapter three!

Read and review, please!


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: _If I owned Sailor Moon, Usagi and Rei would be together. So would Makoto and Ami. And Minako would have won Setsuna over a long, long time ago. And Haruka would be giving tips to Hotaru on how to win over Chibi-Usa.

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_Chapter 3_

_In the past, Pluto had always been aware of her slight edge over Uranus and Neptune, an edge she shared with Saturn. Wind and sea were powerful and deadly, but nothing on Earth could stand up to time. In the past, that edge had seemed like a blessing._

_Now it was a curse._

_It happened quickly; no sooner had the senshi of time been robbed of her daughter and one of her oldest friends, then she had watched in horrified helplessness as Neptune was shot down before Uranus had even completely faded away._

_Her legs would not move; it was as if someone had tied lead pipes to them to keep her down. Her whole body was shaking and she felt horribly weak. Galaxia had already shot her once, only to scowl and curse when she discovered that Pluto's body was strong enough, old enough, to withstand the force of her star seed stealing blow._

_The second shot was more painful; small planets seemed to explode before Pluto's eyes, her vision dimming and spinning, the world before her going blurry. Her body went blissfully numb; only dimly did she hear the Time Staff clatter to the floor._

"_Venus."_

_It was a whimper, a whisper, almost like a prayer; Pluto closed her eyes, and the darkness rushed in to pull her down into peaceful oblivion._

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Ami knew something was wrong the moment she opened the door to the gym.

It wasn't her usual place to be; in general the blue-haired genius preferred staying in the pool whenever she visited the large athletic training building, if only because it was the one thing she was really good at without a doubt. But seeing as a certain green-eyed brunette had been notably absent for the past few days, Ami felt it was time to check up on her.

She knew Makoto would do the same for her.

The first thing she noticed upon stepping into the room was the heavy scent of blood hanging in the air, and she instinctively reached for her pen. But a quick scan of the room assured her that no youma were present; only Makoto was there, in nothing but a sports bra and biker shorts, covered in sweat and punching the life out of a bag.

It only took seconds for Ami to get a good look at Makoto's hands.

"Mako-chan, _stop_!"

Ami's cry ceased Makoto's vicious pummeling of the innocent punching bag, if only because the brunette was shocked to hear the blue-haired girl raise her voice even slightly. She looked up and met Ami's gaze; and, in the next instant, ducked her head and looked away, shoving her hands behind her back. "Ami-chan? What are you doing here? You surprised me—"

The senshi of thunder's weak attempt to ignore the issue that had caught her friend's eyes failed miserably as Ami crossed the room in three strides and pulled Makoto's hands out from behind her back, making the taller girl grimace in pain. The anger evaporated to be replaced by anguish, and Ami looked helplessly at Makoto. "Mako-chan."

The tears shimmering in her gaze undid the tall girl. "Oh, crap. Shit. Ami-chan, please don't cry." She lifted a hand, intent on brushing away the tears, only to settle as Ami gently examined her hands. "Stop crying," Makoto whispered, looking away. "It's nothing."

It wasn't nothing. In her fury, so caught up in finding a release for her emotions, Makoto had ignored the crucial fact that one needed to wear protective gloves while beating the living shit out of something. Her hands were bloody and red from hours of punching nonstop, blood dripping from deep cuts to the floor below. Her fingers trembled slightly until Ami gently wound their fingers together and guided the fiery brunette to a nearby bench. "Sit," the genius murmured softly, steel in her voice. "I'll go find a first aid kit. Don't move."

Makoto was either exhausted from the release of her pent up fury or still shaken by seeing Ami near tears, as she plopped down on the bench and buried her face in her hands, breathing raggedly. The trembling of her hands shot through her arms into her shoulders and spread out, until she was shaking all over.

"This is going to sting a bit, Mako-chan."

'Sting' did not properly describe the pain that burned her hands like fire; Makoto jerked and hissed, clenching her teeth as Ami gently applied antiseptic to her cuts. Blood streaked the taller girl's cheeks like tears, and she grimaced as the senshi of water carefully wrapped her hands. "That doesn't sting, Ami-chan. That fucking burns."

"Well, that's what you get for going at a punching bag without proper protection."

Makoto was looking for a fight; Ami heard it in her voice, saw the gleam in her eyes, felt the tension all but sing through her body. For that reason she kept her voice purposely mild, her eyes focused on the brunette's hands and no other part of her body.

"Ami-chan."

Her tone had changed, the young genius noted, but she still didn't meet Makoto's gaze. She couldn't, even when she finished bandaging her bloodied hands; her eyes were beginning to burn traitorously again.

"Ami-chan."

She wasn't going to look at Makoto. Ami refused to look at Makoto. The senshi of thunder had already seen her in tears once before; she wouldn't burden her with the sight again. It would only hurt her more than she was already hurting.

"Ami-chan, look at me."

Ami shook her head and rested her forehead against Makoto's hands, fighting a losing battle. The tears were so hot they scorched her eyelids, and she couldn't hold them in even if she tried.

"Dammit, Ami!"

The next instant Makoto's bandaged hands, blood soaking the white red, gripped her shoulders, and in one fluid, almost angry motion the water senshi was crushed against her taller counterpart. Makoto's arms wound tightly around her back and held her snug, so her head was resting just against her neck. If Ami wanted, she knew she could rest her cheek against Makoto's shoulder.

"I can bleed," the brunette whispered, her breath hot against Ami's ear. "I don't care. I can punch the shit out of something until I bleed, and it hurts like hell, and all I see is red, but I can bleed and still get my emotions out. You can't do that, Ami-chan. It's not your way, it isn't in you. You have this very annoying habit of holding things in." A hollow laugh tickled Ami's neck, made strands of her hair curl. "And that hurts me a lot, because no matter how much I bleed, I can't make the pain go away. I can't bleed and make you feel better."

That did it.

Ami sagged against Makoto and squeezed her eyes shut as tears slid silently down her cheeks, her fingers digging into the brunette's bare shoulders. Her whole body trembled, only to be held steady by the strong warmth of Makoto's arms.

Makoto closed her eyes and swore softly.

It didn't matter who was to blame; she would never forgive them for this. Never.

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A week after Sailor Lead Crow taunted Sailor Venus and hinted at the possible demise of the Outers, she appeared again.

Sailor Aluminum Siren was not with her, and she appeared before the shrine dressed a normal civilian, under the name Akane Karasuma. She had timed it so she walked in on one of their senshi meetings.

She saw the broken look in Minako's eyes, the bandages on Makoto's hands, the guilt and anguish in Usagi's. She pretended not to as Rei stood determinedly in her way, eyes narrow. "What do you want, Crow?"

"Karasuma-san," the red-haired woman amended quietly, removing her sunglasses. "I'm not Crow right now."

Rei studied the older woman quietly as Usagi rose and slipped behind her, resting a hand on her shoulder and looking uncertainly at Karasuma. Something about her had changed, though the miko couldn't quite put her finger on it. Something about her seemed… broken. On a whim, she opened her mouth. "Where's Siren?"

A long, long moment of silence passed; Karasuma seemed to shudder briefly, tremor as she slid her sunglasses into her coat pocket.

And then:

"She's dead."

Karasuma's tone was flat, completely devoid of emotion; but her eyes were dark, almost like blood, dark with anguish and grief and a deep, deep anger that could only be hatred. "She's dead," she repeated, and closed her eyes tiredly. "Galaxia-sama was not pleased with her inability to find a pure star seed, so she killed her."

A soft gasp from Usagi made Rei stiffen, only to relax as the moon hime pressed against her. Makoto, Ami, and Minako looked torn between disbelief and skepticism, while Chibi-Usa looked on with a sort of sympathetic curiosity.

Beginning to understand the woman's intentions and motives, Rei narrowed her eyes even as Usagi stepped to her side to speak. Apparently, the odango-haired girl understood, too. "Karasuma-san…"

"I know, I know." In a gesture that was frustrated and angry, Karasuma waved her hand to silence the younger girl. "If I do this, I'll die. Once Galaxia-sama realizes I've turned, she'll take my bracelets away. I don't care."

"You do not fear death?" Luna's voice was soft.

Karasuma laughed hollowly and slid her hands into her pockets.

"Kitty cat, with Siren gone, I'm a walking dead woman. Something inside me died with her, and it's not coming back."

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"Karasuma-san?"

Minako trailed the others as Rei led them into the shrine, matching their reluctant ally's gait. The red-haired woman cast the younger girl a brief look and averted her eyes, not responding to Minako's timid voice; but the senshi of Venus refused to be ignored. "Karasuma-san?"

"What?"

"Did you really see Sets—did you really see what happened to Sailor Pluto?"

Karasuma stopped walking and focused on the young blonde, studying her quietly. For a long moment she said nothing, but the younger girl didn't back down. Finally, she sighed. "Look, kid, I respect the fact that you care about your teammate—"

"She's more than that." Minako lowered her eyes, scrubbing at them with the back of her hand. "Sets-chan is… I love her."

The last three words were a hoarse whisper, and in that instant Karasuma understood. Her eyes softened slightly as her hands slid into her pockets, and her voice was surprisingly gentle when she spoke again, her words a statement, not a question. "You never told her that."

"I… no. No, I didn't." Minako inhaled shakily. "I thought we'd have more time."

Another moment of silence; Karasuma looked away again, focusing on the cherry tree by the shrine steps.

"… Kid… I don't know what happened to Sailor Pluto." Minako looked up at her as she spoke. "The last time I saw her, she had a Dead Scream aimed my way and I thought it would be best to haul ass in the opposite direction. Whatever happened to her and the others once they reached Galaxia-sama, that… that was the last time I saw her. She was still alive and willing to fight."

Minako nodded, rubbing at her eyes again. She hurried past Karasuma.

"Kid."

Minako paused, looking back. "Yeah?"

"She loved you." Karasuma met Minako's gaze evenly, her words sure. "I didn't know who you were back then, but she loved you. She had that look in her eyes, that posture of someone who loves someone else and can't imagine life without them." She shrugged. "I'm not sure if she ever told you this, but you were her world."

Not waiting to see the younger girl's reaction, Karasuma brushed past her and bounded up the steps, eager to meet up with the others.

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"Hey, Minako-chan, all things considered you should probably reconsider becoming a movie star…"

"Pop idol," Sailor Venus shot back. "There's a difference."

"They're all the same to me."

Sailor Venus stuck out her tongue as Sailor Mars smirked. Despite the tension hanging in the air of the dark television studio, the bickering between the two girls caused the others to giggle; even Sailor Lead Crow cracked a smile. The group slowly made their way down the shadowed hallway, Crow in front and leading confidently despite the way her hands trembled. "Erm, Crow-san," Sailor Moon stepped forward, gently gripping the older woman's sleeve. "Are you _sure _you want to do this? Once we reach Galaxia-sama…"

She never got a chance to finish her sentence.

There was a flash of brilliant gold light, the sound of a chilling laugh that made the senshi's blood run cold as ice and Crow stiffen.

"Oh, how cute, Crow… how _deliciously _cute… you truly wish to join Siren, don't you?"

The younger senshi instinctively clustered together, Sailor Moon and Sailor Chibi Moon kept in the center, as much out of harm's way as possible. Sailor Lead Crow gritted her teeth, knowing her time was short. "Stay calm," she ordered harshly, sparing the young girls a quick look over her shoulder as a throne materialized in front of her, only a few feet from where they all stood. "All of you, just stay calm and stick together, understand? Whatever you do, _stay together_!"

The woman dressed in gold, called 'Galaxia-sama' by Crow, smirked coldly and lifted one hand, as if beckoning to the older woman. Twin bands of gold light flared from her wrists, and the dark-skinned woman let out a shrill shriek of pain as the bracelets faded.

"_No_! Crow-san, no!"

Sailor Moon burst out of her protective bubble, a flash of white and feathers as she flew to Crow's side, as she knelt next to the woman, who was breathing harshly and clutching at her chest as her form began to shimmer and fade away. "Crow-san," the moon hime whimpered as the others dashed to her, forming a circle around their fallen ally. Grimacing, Crow slowly met Sailor Moon's eyes, and she smiled weakly, shuddering.

"Be strong," she whispered, closing her eyes tiredly as golden lights began to gently flicker from her body and she began to dissolve. "No… matter what… all of you… be strong…"

And in a flurry of golden bubbles, Sailor Lead Crow was gone.

"Hmph." Galaxia's soft snort of disgust made all eyes snap in her direction. She sat back down, reclining lazily in her chair, gently toying with something that dangled from her fingers; she alternated between tossing it up and catching it to letting it slide free only to catch it before it hit the ground. "Foolish woman."

_Clink, clink._

Unnerved but headstrong in the way that only a child could be, Sailor Chibi Moon stood up. "You shouldn't be playing with toys now!" the pink-haired girl cried. "We're here to defeat you!"

Galaxia's lips curved cruelly. "Oh?" Toss. Catch. "But this is my favorite."

Toss. Catch.

Chibi Moon bristled. "I don't care if it's your favorite!"

"Chibi Moon," Mars hissed between gritted teeth.

Toss. Catch. Again and again. The clinking was driving them all slowly insane, but they weren't sure how to confront their opponent; she wasn't attacking them outright. If anything, she seemed almost bored, as if she was waiting for one of them to move.

And then, the dim light caught the object in her hand as she tossed it up again. Pale pink, the bracelet glimmered weakly before it was snagged by Galaxia's fingers again.

The blood drained from Chibi Moon's face.

"Where did you get that?"

Contrary to when she had spoken before, the future princess's voice was soft, almost weak. Galaxia raised a brow, swinging the bracelet lightly around one finger before tossing it up again. "It was lost by the young warrior," she said calmly, narrowing her eyes as her lips twitched. "She wielded the Silence Glaive. A powerful girl. Pity she sacrificed herself for the wind. The wind is weaker than death, by far."

Death. The wind.

Even if she hadn't said their names or called them by their respective planets, the younger girls held no illusions as to who she spoke about. If it was possible, Chibi Moon paled further, her eyes wide and her fingers hanging limply at her sides.

"Time lasted the longest, though," Galaxia continued conversationally, almost as if they were simply discussing the weather. "Longer than the sea. But I'm not surprised. She's quite older than any of you, isn't she? I doubt any of you truly understand her…"

It was a trap, a trap weaved with words and mere motion of the tongue, of simply painting the darkest picture possible and leaving the rest to imagination. It was a trap.

Sailor Venus fell for it.

"Minako-chan, don't!"

Sailor Jupiter reacted fast enough time, tearing away from her comrades to race out and grab Venus by the arm. Only a short distance separated the pair from their companions.

It was enough.

The flash of Galaxia's eyes and the upward twitch of her lips was the only warning before twin golden balls slammed into the pair. Shrill screams pierced the suffocating silence of the room, the darkness and shadows chased away by brilliant gold light.

"_Minako-chan!!"_

"_NO! Mako-chan! MAKO-CHAN!!"_

As quickly as it had happened, it ended. The light faded away as Galaxia's cackles filled the air. Sailor Moon stared in helpless horror at the empty space where her two friends had been standing only moments ago. Instinct had Sailor Mars standing protectively in front of her princess, though her body trembled. Sailor Chibi Moon was shaking like a leaf, her eyes wide and her face pale, but she stood her ground. Tears streamed freely down Sailor Mercury's cheeks. "Mako-chan," the blue-haired girl whimpered, still seeming to be in disbelief over what had just happened. "Mako-chan."

Galaxia's bracelets glowed again, flashing eagerly to do their mistress's bidding; she smirked and twirled Saturn's bracelet between her fingers.

_Clink, clink._

"Get down, Usagi!"

Gold fire rained down on the helpless senshi, robbed of their companions before they even had time to react. Sailor Mars turned on her heel and locked her arms around Sailor Moon, gritting her teeth as she heard the screams of Mercury and Chibi Moon. Sailor Moon let out a small cry. "R-Rei-chan…"

"It's okay." Her grip on the moon hime tightened. "It's okay, Usagi. I won't let her hurt you."

"N-no, that i-isn't… _Rei-chan! Look out!!_"

With strength Mars had never known she had possessed, Moon shoved the soldier of fire off, pushing her roughly to the side just before she was bathed in gold. The former princess of the Moon Kingdom only had time to smile reassuringly at her fallen comrade before the pain hit her.

"_NO! Usagi, no!!"_

Mars surged to her feet as Moon screamed, but it was already too late; the soldier of love and justice was already fading away, disappearing from the raven-haired girl's life as quickly as she'd come into it.

"Usa—"

Burning pain slammed into her back, brilliant light blinded her so she saw only black as she fell to her knees, and Mars thought no more, Sailor Moon's name still on her lips.

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Six bright star seeds zoomed into Galaxia's hand, gleaming with all the brilliance of the Silver Millennium that had been and the Crystal Tokyo that should have become.

As the lights faded away and the universe plunged into eternal darkness, Galaxia began to laugh.

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...

I can fix it.

I apologize _soooo _much for the long delay! (begs for forgiveness) When I started this chapter back in the summer, soccer summer sessions were also picking up, and then school started, and then when I _finally _got into the groove for this fic again, Service Pack 3 crashed my computer! I finished this chapter on my father's system, thank God for flashdrives...

Also, writing the final confrontation with Galaxia was a pain, since in the anime everyone... is pretty much taken out in one KO hit. But hopefully this isn't too bad...

Read and review, please!


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: _If I owned Sailor Moon, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction for it.

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_Chapter 4_

"—gi!"

Rei jerked awake with a gasp, her heart hammering against her ribs and her skin slick with sweat. The swift forward motion that had pushed her from slumber and the utter darkness of the room left her utterly disoriented, and she fell off the bed with a loud crash, completely tangled in her bed sheets. She lay on the ground for a moment, dazed, until it broke through the cloudy depths of her mind that the phone was ringing.

The dark-haired miko fought free from the sheets and bolted from the room, thankful that her grandfather was out overnight and Yuuichiro had left recently on vacation to visit his parents. The shrill ring cut off abruptly as she grabbed the phone and brought it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Rei-chan!"

She sounded near tears, but at that moment Rei had never been happier to hear Usagi's voice. "Usagi." She slowly sank to her knees, fighting the foolish grin of disbelief and relief. "You don't know how happy I am to hear your voice right now."

"Are you all right? You aren't hurt, are you? Nothing bad—"

"It was just a dream, Odango." A disturbingly vivid and detailed one, Rei thought with a scowl as she rubbed her eyes. "It was all just a dream. I'm fine." Despite knowing it, she felt a surge of fear. "What about Ami-chan and Mako-chan? Minako-chan? And Haruka-san, Michiru-san…?"

"Everyone's fine." Usagi bit back a sob. "Ami-chan just sent me a message from her computer. She checked up on Mako-chan. Chibi-Usa's talking to Hotaru-chan right now, and she said Michiru-san and Haruka-san are okay. She said Setsuna-san is calming down Minako-chan."

"Okay. Okay. That's good."

Feeling the fear slowly drain out of her body, Rei exhaled heavily. Everything was okay, she told herself. It had been a dream—a dark, horrible, twisted nightmare. But it was nothing more and they were all fine. "We need to meet tomorrow," she murmured, cradling the phone close. "Something really weird just happened tonight."

"Okay. Yeah, that's a good idea." Usagi swallowed. "I'll call the others and let them know that's the plan."

"Yeah. I'll hang up now. Try and get some sleep, Usagi."

"… Rei-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're okay."

A moment of silence; Rei's eyes softened.

"I'm glad you're okay too, Usagi. Good night."

"G'night."

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"It could have been a new enemy." Luna waved her tail, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully. "You fought youma earlier this week, right? Perhaps whoever sent them out is trying to get revenge."

A quiet murmur followed this idea, but in general the girls weren't exactly discussing the cause of their shared nightmare the way they'd intended to. If anything, they were simply together to prove to themselves that what they had witnessed last night had been a dream, and nothing more. For the first time Usagi could clearly remember Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna mingled happily with the younger girls, seeming humbled by what they had seen. Michiru sat quietly beside Ami, the small blue-haired girl wedged between Makoto and the senshi of the sea. Minako rested her cheek quietly against Setsuna's arm, her eyes closed. Haruka stood with one hand on Hotaru's shoulder as the dark-haired girl soothed Chibi-Usa.

"Not to shoot a hole in your theory, Luna, but if it was a new enemy, why do this?" Ami spoke up from her place between Michiru and Makoto. "Normally they threaten us themselves instead of… using other methods."

"There's… another possibility."

Setsuna's voice caused all eyes to turn to her; Minako opened her eyes and glanced up at the older woman. The senshi of time cleared her throat before continuing. "I'm sure you all know by now, at least to some extent, that alternate realities and timelines exist outside of our own."

"Alternate realities?" Haruka frowned.

"Yes. Very similar to our world, but also different. It's actually quite entertaining to watch." A weak smile curved Setsuna's lips. "In one world, Mako-chan, you travel with Haruka and Michiru as a third Outer. In another, Michiru and Usagi-chan meet at a club called the Ocean Mystic and fall in love."

An awkward moment of silence as the others tried to wrap their heads around the idea that other versions of themselves existed outside their world. "That's all very interesting," Makoto said slowly, "but what does that have to do with the dream we had last night?"

"I'm getting there. Usually I am the only one who has access to these worlds, seeing as I'm the Guardian of Time and need to monitor them. All worlds co-exist together, and if one is thrown even slightly off its course it could have dismal results for the surrounding worlds." Garnet eyes focused on Usagi. "Usagi-chan, you and Mamoru-san broke up recently, correct?"

Usagi nodded; at her side, Rei draped an arm along her shoulders and pulled the slim blonde closer to her protectively.

"We're all connected to our princess; incidentally, whenever she's in some form of emotional distress, we all feel it, too." Setsuna exhaled heavily. "It's possible that the pain Usagi-chan felt over her break-up with Mamoru-san spilled over into my born ability to see alternate worlds, and because of that connection we all… saw what we saw last night."

"So then… that dream was an alternate reality?"

"Yes." Setsuna's voice was soft. "In another world, our confrontation with Galaxia didn't go as well as it did here."

There was nothing anyone could think to say to that.

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Around late afternoon, the girls finally scattered. As she sat watching them disperse, Rei felt Usagi rest her head against her shoulder, sigh. "What's wrong?" she asked, keeping her voice soft.

"Nothing." The moon hime smiled weakly. "I should be asking _you_ that, actually. You were quiet during the meeting."

For a moment Rei said nothing, gazing ahead into empty space; finally, she bowed her head.

"I watched you die once before, Usagi," she whispered. "Last night, I had to watch you die again. All because of me."

Usagi's eyes flashed, hardened. "I watched you die twice because of me, Rei-chan. It's fair."

"I failed you as a warrior—"

Her train of thought was cut off abruptly as Usagi reached up and gave her ear a hard twist; Rei yelped and jerked back, glaring at the blonde-haired girl as she covered her ear protectively. "Usagi! What was that for?!"

Usagi's eyes were blue steel. "You have never failed me," she said, and her voice was amazingly firm. "As a warrior, or as a friend. Never believe you have, Rei-chan."

"I was supposed to protect you—"

"I know that." The blonde laughed, and it nearly collapsed into a sob. "Don't you think I know that? Stupid Rei-chan, hasn't it ever occurred to you that I want to protect you as much as you protect me?"

Rei stared at her future queen for a moment, robbed of speech; with an anguished sigh she touched her forehead to Usagi's, closing her eyes as the other girl lifted a hand and gently stroked her hair.

"I accept the fact that you'd die for me," the moon hime murmured. "Please accept the fact that I'd die for you."

"I don't like it."

"I know."

"But you're not giving me much of a choice, are you?"

Usagi's eyes gleamed. "Nope."

Rei laughed softly, and she pulled Usagi close, hugging the girl tightly.

"That's my girl." She closed her eyes, felt Usagi snuggle into her embrace. "That's my Usagi."

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From her place sitting on the shrine steps, Minako watched the whole scene unfold with a sense of detached amusement. She wondered if Usagi had any idea what she was headed for in the future and decided against warning her about it; the former princess of the Moon Kingdom would discover where her heart truly laid, given the time.

Until then, Minako would enjoy watching the pair stumble their way through a courtship. It promised to be quite entertaining.

She became aware of Setsuna's presence internally, a subtle shift inside of her that signaled all was right with her world; she offered the older woman a quiet smile as Setsuna sat next to her, resting her cheek against her shoulder as an arm slid around her waist. Setsuna gazed over her head for a moment. "Enjoying the view?"

"Very much so." Minako smirked. "Though Rei-chan will see me any minute now. I intend to hide behind you once she does, just so you know."

"I appreciate the warning."

Minako giggled, and for a moment the pair sat in content silence. Gazing down the stairs at the busy city below, Setsuna took a moment to ponder the significance of the dream. She didn't think it was just coincidence: in that dream she'd had an established relationship with Minako that disturbingly paralleled what she had in this world. It had been devastating to watching her demise at Galaxia's hands—and, ultimately, soul-wrenching to watch Minako struggle on.

"What are you thinking about, Sets-chan?" Minako tilted her head slightly, looking up at Setsuna. For a moment the green-haired woman didn't reply; finally, she rested her cheek against Minako's hair, speaking softly so only the senshi of Venus could hear her.

"You're my world. I just thought you deserved to know that."

A stunned silence followed this quiet confession; Minako's eyes widened as the meaning of what Setsuna had said fully sunk in. Even as the tears pricked her eyes her lips curved, and she groped blindly for Setsuna's hand, linking their fingers and holding on tightly.

"I love you." Her voice was just as soft, and just as sure. "I just thought you deserved to know that."

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"Haruka-papa?"

Hotaru's voice instinctively made Haruka turn; the sight of the dark-haired girl hand-in-hand with Chibi-Usa made her chest clench painfully. "What's up, hime-chan?"

"Is it okay if I go with Chibi-Usa-chan for a little while? We won't be gone too long."

Haruka understood why they wanted to be together; no doubt last night's dream still weighed heavily on their minds. It wouldn't harm either of them, but despite that she hesitated for a moment, remembering all too clearly the way her daughter had died in her arms.

"Sure, hime-chan." She smiled. "Just be careful, okay?"

Hotaru nodded, stepped forward, and hugged Haruka tightly; Haruka stiffened briefly in shock. Her eyes softened slightly and she relaxed, lightly returning the embrace. "Don't worry," the senshi of death whispered. "I'll be really careful."

And with that, she stepped away and was gone in a flurry of voices and skirts; Haruka watched her go, swallowing slightly as Michiru stepped to her side. "She's growing up so fast."

"I know."

"I don't think I can ever let her out of my sight again after last night."

"I feel the same way." Michiru slid her hand into Haruka's. "She'll be okay, Haruka."

Haruka nodded. She smirked.

"I wonder if today's the day she'll kiss Chibi-Usa-chan."

Michiru laughed. "We'll just have to wait and see when she gets back, won't we?"

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"Hey. Are you okay?"

Ami said nothing, merely leaned back against Makoto as the pair lounged around outside the arcade, watching life pass them by on the streets. She shivered a little as a stray wind nipped at her, and wordlessly Makoto pulled her closer, draping her jacket around both of them. "Thank you, Mako-chan."

"Yeah, no problem."

Silence fell between them again, but it wasn't an awkward, uncomfortable one. Ami tilted her head back and studied the sky for a few minutes before deciding to tread on territory she'd never crossed before. "Mako-chan?"

"Hmm?"

"What you said to me in that dream… is that possibly true for this world, too?"

Makoto didn't ask what she meant. She knew what Ami was referring to. "Yeah." She laughed softly. "I'm afraid I'm soft on you, Ami-chan. Seeing you hurt makes me hurt too, in this world as much as in the other one."

Amused, Ami glanced up at her. "Is that your way of telling me you like me?"

Makoto shrugged. "Take it or leave it."

Ami laughed softly, lowering her eyes to study the street again. "Take it or leave it, eh?" she murmured, amused and not offended in the least by Makoto's casual response. The brunette had been crushed too often in the past to be dramatic about confessions at this point in her life.

"Mako-chan?"

"Hmm?"

"I'll take it."

Makoto blinked; she slowly lowered her eyes, meeting Ami's gaze. "Well, then," she said, amused. "Does this make us a couple?"

"I suppose."

"Great. Now I don't feel guilty about doing this."

Makoto's arm snaked around Ami's waist, pulling the shorter girl closer so her chin rested comfortably on her shoulder; Ami squeaked softly and her face flushed, but she timidly leaned back into the half-embrace, noting she didn't feel cold anymore. "Did you learn this from Haruka-san?" she asked breathlessly.

"I might have asked her for a few pointers." Makoto grinned.

"Ami-chan!"

Michiru's call made the pair look up; the senshi of the sea waved at them, smiling happily as Haruka trailed her, led by the hand. "Michiru-san?" Ami called. "What is it?"

"How do you feel about having that rematch we discussed?" Michiru grinned.

A light came into Ami's eyes. "That sounds great, Michiru-san!"

Amused, Makoto and Haruka shared knowing looks over the heads of the other two. "I'll see you there, then," Haruka said.

"Yeah." Makoto pulled Ami closer and smiled as Ami leaned back into her shoulder. "I'll be there to cheer my girl on."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

In one world, ten lives were extinguished forever, the universe swallowed in a void of eternal darkness.

But in another world, ten lives were starting over again, their futures promising to be brighter than it had ever been before.

And so the cycle continued, as it had undoubtedly down for years, centuries, millenniums before the senshi and the Moon Kingdom had even come into existence.

**The End**

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... Forgive me. I'm truly a sucker for happy endings.

And no complaining about the whole thing being a dream, please. From the very beginning I intended to end it this way; I never thought about changing how it would end. I just got slowed down in the process of writing it.

Quick note:

1. Setsuna's first reference to an alternate world, where Makoto travels with Michiru and Haruka, is a call-out to my fic "Heaven Was Needing a Hero" and the short stories that came before it. Shameless, yes.

2. Setsuna's second reference to the world where Michiru and Usagi fall in love is a call-out to my favorite author LowFlyer1080, who writes the awesome Usagi/Michiru series "Soft Cruelty". If you haven't read it yet, do so now! He writes the pairing in a very believable way.

So... for the last time...

Read and review, please!


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